Description
Homemade BBQ chicken French bread pizza delivers tangy, smoky flavors perfect for quick weeknight dinners. Crisp bread, melted cheese, and savory chicken create an irresistible meal you’ll crave again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 loaf French bread
- 1 cup chicken (cooked and shredded)
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese (shredded)
- ¾ cup BBQ sauce
- ¼ cup red onion (chopped)
- 1–2 tbsps cilantro (chopped)
Instructions
- Preheat Preparation: Position the oven rack centrally and warm to 400°F (204°C), creating an ideal cooking environment for crisp, golden results.
- Bread Foundation: Slice the French bread loaf lengthwise, creating two flat canvases for layering delectable toppings.
- Sauce Canvas: Spread barbecue sauce lavishly across bread surfaces, establishing a tangy flavor base for the pizza.
- Cheese Layer: Distribute most of the mozzarella cheese evenly, creating a melty foundation that will bind the toppings.
- Protein and Aromatics: Arrange shredded chicken and diced red onion uniformly across the bread, ensuring balanced flavor in every bite.
- Final Cheese Accent: Sprinkle remaining mozzarella over the chicken and onion to enhance melting and visual appeal.
- Baking Transformation: Slide the prepared pizzas into the preheated oven, baking 12-17 minutes until cheese bubbles and edges turn golden-brown with crispy texture.
- Resting and Finishing: Allow pizzas to rest briefly, then embellish with a final barbecue sauce drizzle and sprinkle of fresh cilantro leaves.
- Serving Presentation: Slice into individual portions and serve immediately, capturing the peak of warmth and crispiness.
Notes
- Optimize Bread Selection: Choose a sturdy French bread with a crisp exterior and soft interior to prevent sogginess and maintain a crunchy base.
- Manage Sauce Distribution: Apply barbecue sauce sparingly initially to prevent bread from becoming too soggy, reserving extra sauce for final drizzling.
- Control Cheese Melting: Sprinkle cheese in layers to ensure even melting and prevent burning, creating a perfectly golden-brown topping.
- Timing is Critical: Watch pizza closely during last 5 minutes of baking to achieve ideal cheese melt and prevent overcooking or burning.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 16 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 56 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 25 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg